Billy Cobham

William Emanuel Cobham Jr. (born May 16, 1944) is a Panamanian–American jazz drummer who came to prominence in the late 1960s and early 1970s with trumpeter Miles Davis and then with the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Cobham was inducted into the Modern Drummer Hall of Fame in 1987 and the Classic Drummer Hall of Fame in 2013. AllMusic biographer Steve Huey said: "Generally acclaimed as fusion's greatest drummer, Billy Cobham's explosive technique powered some of the genre's most important early recordings – including groundbreaking efforts by Miles Davis and the Mahavishnu Orchestra – before he became an accomplished bandleader in his own right. At his best, Cobham harnessed his amazing dexterity into thundering, high-octane hybrids of jazz complexity and rock & roll aggression."

Cobham's influence stretched far beyond jazz; he influenced progressive rock contemporaries, including Bill Bruford of King Crimson, and later ones such as Danny Carey of Tool. Prince and Jeff Beck both played a version of Cobham's "Stratus" in concert. Phil Collins, who named the Mahavishnu Orchestra's The Inner Mounting Flame as a key influence on his early style, said: "Billy Cobham played some of the finest drumming I've ever heard on that record."

Biography Born in Colón, Panama, Cobham moved with his family to Brooklyn, New York, when he was three. His father, Manuel, worked as a hospital statistician during the week and played piano on weekends. Cobham started playing drums at the age of four, and joined his father four years later. When he was 15, he got his first drum kit as a gift after being accepted to The High School of Music & Art in New York City.

He was drafted in 1965, and played with a U.S. Army band for the next three years. Cobham's massive drum kit in the mid-1970s, based on a clear acrylic set by Fibes Drums, contained two Fibes bass drums, a custom Duffy snare, two flared-shell rack toms by North Drums, four Fibes rack toms, two Fibes floor toms, two gong drums by Duffy customized by Cobham's drum roadie Jeff Ocheltree, a hi-hat, five Zildjian cymbals, and one hanging 36-inch gong. This expansive kit and Cobham's dynamic style influenced later drummers.

In 1980, he worked with Jack Bruce in Jack Bruce & Friends. For this group, Cobham used a very large custom drum kit designed for him by Tama Drums, featuring three bass drums with linked pedals, and three snares including a piccolo snare and a Hinger Space Tone expanding snare. Cobham said this kit adapted to fit the music, and the music adapted to fit the kit – "a continual chicken–egg–chicken scenario."

Cobham moved to Switzerland in 1985.

Praise from other musicians Many musicians have cited Cobham as an influence, including Phil Collins, Tullio De Piscopo, Kenny Aronoff, Steve Arrington, Ranjit Barot, Danny Carey, Jimmy Chamberlin, Dennis Chambers, Brann Dailor, Matt Garstka, Chris Hornbrook, Thomas Lang, Mac McNeilly, OM, Opeth, Chris Pennie Mike Portnoy, Thomas Pridgen, Sivamani, Bill Stevenson, Jon Theodore, Tony Thompson, and Mike Clark. Other musicians have expressed admiration for his work, including Steven Wilson and Dave Bainbridge.

Influences

Cobham has cited big-band drummers, such as Buddy Rich, Jo Jones, Louie Bellson, Sam Woodyard, Sonny Payne, Mel Lewis, and Charlie Persip, as well as modern jazz drummers, such as Tony Williams, Elvin Jones, Jimmy Cobb, Roy Haynes, Max Roach, and Art Blakey, as influences on his playing.

Discography

As leader

1973 – Spectrum 1974 – Crosswinds 1974 – Total Eclipse 1975 – Shabazz 1975 – A Funky Thide of Sings 1976 – Life & Times 1976 – Live On Tour In Europe with George Duke 1977 – Magic 1978 – Inner Conflicts 1978 – Alivemutherforya 1978 – Simplicity of Expression: Depth of Thought 1979 – BC 1980 – Flight Time 1981 – Stratus 1982 – Observations & Reflections 1983 – Smokin' 1985 – Warning 1986 – Powerplay 1987 – Picture This 1989 – Incoming 1992 – By Design 1994 – The Traveler 1996 – Nordic 1998 – Focused 1999 – Off Color 2000 – North by Northwest 2001 – Drum & Voice 1 (All That Groove) 2002 – Culture Mix 2003 – The Art of Three 2006 – Art of Four 2006 – Drum & Voice – Vol.2 2007 – Fruit from the Loom 2008 – De Cuba y Panama 2009 – Drum & Voice – Vol.3 2010 – Palindrome 2014 – Tales From The Skeleton Coast 2015 – Ayajala Live 2015 – Spectrum 40 Live 2016 – Drum & Voice – Vol.4 2017 – Red Baron 2019 – Jon Anderson 1000 Hands Chapter One 2020 – Tierra Del Fuego 2021 – Robby Steinhardt Not in Kansas Anymore 2022 – Drum & Voice – Vol.5 2023 – Michael and Tim Franklin, Anahata 2024 – Drum 'N' Voice Vol 1–5 (Deluxe Edition) Nicolosi Productions

As sideman With Stanley Turrentine

Sugar (CTI, 1970)

With Stanley Turrentine and Milt Jackson

Cherry (CTI, 1972)

With Mose Allison Western Man (Atlantic, 1971) Lessons in Living (1982)

With Gene Ammons Got My Own (Prestige, 1972) Big Bad Jug (Prestige, 1973)

With Ray Barretto The Other Road (1973) With Roberto Tola Kon Tiki (EBM, 2021)

With George Benson Giblet Gravy (1968) White Rabbit (CTI, 1972)

With Bobby and the Midnites Bobby and the Midnites (1981) Where the Beat Meets the Street (1984)

With The Brothers Johnson Look Out for #1 (1976)

With James Brown Make It Funky: The Big Payback 1971–1975 (1996)

With Kenny Burrell Night Song (Verve, 1969) God Bless the Child (CTI, 1971)

With Cargo Cargo (1982)

With Ron Carter Uptown Conversation (Embryo, 1970) Blues Farm (CTI, 1973) All Blues (CTI, 1973) Spanish Blue (CTI, 1974) Yellow & Green (CTI, 1976) New York Slick (Milestone, 1980) Empire Jazz (RSO, 1980) With Stanley Clarke School Days (1976) Atlantis with George Duke (1973) Live at the Greek with Larry Carlton (1993)

With Larry Coryell Spaces (1970) The Essential Larry Coryell (1975) Spaces Revisited (1997)

With Miles Davis Live-Evil (1970) A Tribute to Jack Johnson (1970) Big Fun (1974) Get Up with It (1974) Circle in the Round (1979) Directions (recorded 11.3.1960–27.2.1970, released 1980) The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions (recorded 1969–1970, released 1998)

With Richard Davis Way Out West (recorded 1977, Muse, 1980) Fancy Free (Galaxy, 1977)

With Eumir Deodato Prelude (1972) Deodato 2 (1973) Whirlwinds (1974)

With Dreams Dreams (1970) Imagine My Surprise (1971)

With Charles Earland Intensity (Prestige, 1972)

With Gil Evans Live at the Public Theater (New York 1980) (Trio, 1981)

With Fania All Stars Our Latin Thing (1972) Yankee Stadium (1973) Latin-Soul-Rock (1974)

With Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway (1972)

With Peter Gabriel Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ (1989)

With Johnny Hammond Breakout (Kudu, 1971) Wild Horses Rock Steady (Kudu, 1971) The Prophet (Kudu, 1972) With Billy Harper Capra Black (Strata-East, 1973)

With Donald Harrison Heroes (Nagel Heyer, 2004) New York Cool: Live at The Blue Note (Half Note, 2005) This Is Jazz: Live at The Blue Note (Half Note, 2011)

With Freddie Hubbard Sky Dive (CTI, 1973)

With Jackie and Roy Time & Love (CTI, 1972)

With Milt Jackson Sunflower (CTI, 1972)

With Jazz Is Dead Blue Light Rain (Zebra, 1998)

With Quincy Jones The Anderson Tapes (1971) I Heard That!! (1976) With Robin Kenyatta Gypsy Man (Atlantic, 1973) With Hubert Laws Morning Star (CTI, 1972) Carnegie Hall (CTI, 1973)

With Mahavishnu Orchestra Inner Mounting Flame (1971) Birds of Fire (1973) Between Nothingness and Eternity (1973) The Best of Mahavishnu Orchestra (recorded 1971–1973, released 1980) The Lost Trident Sessions (recorded 1973, released 1999) Unreleased Tracks from Between Nothingness & Eternity (recorded 1973, released 2011) Mahavishnu (1984)

With Junior Mance With a Lotta Help from My Friends (Atlantic, 1970)

With Arif Mardin Journey (Atlantic, 1974)

With Les McCann Comment (Atlantic, 1970) Invitation to Openness (Atlantic, 1971)

With John McLaughlin My Goal's Beyond (Columbia, 1971) Love Devotion Surrender with Carlos Santana (Columbia, 1973) Electric Guitarist (Columbia, 1978)

With Mark-Almond Band Rising (1972) To the Heart (1976) With Jimmy Owens Headin' Home (A&M/Horizon, 1978) With Sonny Rollins The Way I Feel (Milestone, 1976) Don’t Stop the Carnival (Milestone, 1978)

With Michel Sardaby Michel Sardaby in New York (Sound Hills, 2002)

With Don Sebesky Giant Box (CTI, 1973)

With Horace Silver Serenade to a Soul Sister (1968) You Gotta Take a Little Love (1969)

With Carly Simon Hotcakes (1974) With Lonnie Smith Mama Wailer (Kudu, 1971) With Gábor Szabó Mizrab (CTI, 1972) With Leon Thomas The Leon Thomas Album (Flying Dutchman, 1970) With McCoy Tyner Fly with the Wind (Milestone, 1976)

With Miroslav Vitous Purple (1970)

With Grover Washington, Jr. All the King's Horses (Kudu, 1972) Soul Box (Kudu, 1973)

With Randy Weston Blue Moses (CTI, 1972)

With Jon Anderson 1000 Hands Chapter One (Solar, 2019)

With Robby Steinhardt Not in Kansas Anymore (Solar, 2021)

With Michael and Tim Franklin Anahata (Solar, 2023)